Author: Timur Utsayev, Grozny. Exclusively for VK
There are no traces of ruins on Putin Avenue in the center of Grozny. There is another war in Grozny today: European chefs are fighting for the cuisine preferences of the locals. People in Chechnya say that the national cuisine is under threat, that the North Caucasus has been conquered by Italy. Such fears are based on the growing number of pizzerias, cafes and European restaurants. There are numerous visitors, menus offer a wide range of meals, the prices are similar to those in Moscow. Young people are considered the main visitors of European restaurants, although older people are common too. Some of the clients have become devotees of Italian cuisine.
Ibragim Kasumov was one of the first people in Chechnya to open a pizzeria, which can be seen in the center of Grozny. His restaurant is one of the most popular on Putin Avenue. He says that the idea to open the restaurant was inspired by his friends. His tastes were also part of the success. “I like pizza myself, I thought about trying it, maybe something will be achieved. We did not have any pizzerias in Grozny when we were opening,” Kasumov explains.
The Japanese are the competitors to the Italians, there are several sushi bars. Chechens like the taste of raw fish and rice. Recently-opened fast food outlets work until late in the night.
However, not everyone in Grozny is happy with the arrival of foreign cuisines in Chechnya. Caucasian chefs, whose restaurants always offer the well-known Caucasus cakes chepaglash, are not planning to give up. They believe that the national cuisine is more nutritious and tasty. “Our meals will doubtlessly make digestions excellent. The food is dietetic, it has cottage cheese, everything is cooked in butter milk. All products are eco-friendly,” chef Rosa Dayeva says.
The chefs have no doubts about their clients. They say that real devotees of Caucasian cuisine visit them only, recognizing the smell of their favourite chepalgash. The smell here is indeed great. The most important components of meals are spices, onions, garlic, pepper and thyme. Chechen cuisine is vitamin-rich and very nourishing. The greens are another significant ingredient. Many meals are cooked from wild garlic, cheese, pumpkin, cottage cheese, corn and dry meat. The Vaynakhs like meat broth, mutton, beef and poultry. Meat is served with dumplings made from wheat and corn flour and garlic spices. Before refrigerators were introduced, dry meat was irreplaceable. The basis of Vaynakh cuisine is flour products with cottage cheese, pumpkin, potatoes, wild garlic and nettles. Chechen meals are soft, with spices dominating.
Recipes of Vaynakh meals are very simple and calorific at the same time, delicious and easily digested. Obese people are indeed rare in Chechnya. Healthy food and fresh air are a guarantee of keeping in good shape and feeling well. “In our time, when there is great diversity, the national cuisine of the Vaynakhs is very nutritious and nourishing. Corn flour, cottage cheese and a lot of other ingredients are good for health and have no repercussions. There are many products with preservatives and colourants in our time,” diet expert Larisa Usmanova says.
Chechen cuisine is one of the oldest in the Caucasus. Specialists say that the ritual of cooking is a whole way of life, the study of which may be composed in several tomes of a good book. One of the peculiarities of the Caucasian national cuisine is fire. Even fish and some vegetables are cooked over coals by a skilled cook. Cakes cooked from wheat or barley flour, milk and cheese over coals were the main meals of Vaynakhs in the 19th century, meat was only eaten by the rich. Researchers say that Chechen highland gardens of the 19th century grew European vegetables, such as tomatoes, cabbage and radishes. The Chechens produced all products, except spices and sweets, from century to century by themselves. Although Chechen women have learned the cuisines of various peoples, they do not forget the unique national cuisine.
